Establishes a fund and the operations necessary for a hotline for suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis management. Also instates a monthly surcharge on telephone lines to fund the 988 call center.

Rhode Island 988 Call Center Funding and Operations Act

This bill creates a dedicated fund to support the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Rhode Island — the three-digit number people can call or text when they are experiencing a mental health or behavioral health crisis. The bill establishes the rules and structure for how the 988 call center would operate in the state, ensuring that trained crisis counselors are available to help people dealing with suicidal thoughts, substance use emergencies, or other urgent mental health situations.

To pay for this service, the bill would add a small monthly surcharge to telephone bills in Rhode Island — covering both landlines and cell phones. This fee would go directly into the dedicated fund, which would be used specifically to staff and maintain the local 988 call center. By creating a stable, ongoing source of funding, the bill aims to make sure the crisis line remains reliably available around the clock.

This bill affects essentially all Rhode Island residents who have a phone line, since they would see a new charge on their monthly bill. At the same time, it is intended to benefit anyone in the state who may face a mental health crisis and need immediate support. The bill has been introduced and sent to the House Finance Committee, where lawmakers will review the details, including the specific amount of the surcharge and how the fund would be managed.